Last Saturday, members from both Marlbrook Churches met to reflect and set a future vision during our Discernment Day workshop. At the beginning the facilitator, Claire Horton (Deanery and Parish Development Adviser (Bath Archdeaconry) & Magnificat Advocate) lead us in prayer and dwelling in the word. The passage was from Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth that talks about the community of believers as the body of Christ – being made of many parts that are wonderfully placed by God and play different roles but have equal importance (1 Corinthians 12:12-20 NIV).
The days event aimed to outline our future roadmap by defining the essential components of a new church profile. We engaged in group discussions across three key areas:
- Current Values:
Celebrating our strengths including areas such as outreach and accessibility while acknowledging challenges in buildings, finances, and resources. - Identifying Gaps:
We recognised gaps in areas such as external partnerships, outreach to unreached social groups, the need for more social events, improved publicity efforts, and the absence of home groups. - Defining Our Future:
We explored the qualities, skills, and values essential for our next minister. As a church, we also discussed areas of importance including our commitment to worship, fellowship, and community.
Next Steps
Following the workshop, our profile team will consolidate all the insights and aim to present findings to the PCC. From this, they will begin crafting the new profile with a provisional deadline set for February 2025.
Thank you to all who participated in this meaningful event. Your contributions are crucial as we shape our future together.
If you wish to contribute any more thoughts around the 3 areas highlighted above, please email Jennie in the church office at buildings@marlbrook.org.